The 30-second spot will air tonight during GOP convention coverage

MINNEAPOLIS,  July 17, 2024–Don Samuels, a candidate for Congress in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, today announced the airing of his first TV advertisement of the 2024 cycle, “Missing on the Issues that Matter Most”. This TV ad is airing today in the Minneapolis media market with a targeted buy during the Republican National Convention. The campaign will increase TV advertising spending in the coming weeks. 

“Missing on the Issues that Matter Most” points to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s failure to fight for the issues that impact her constituents’ lives: public safety, rebuilding and modernizing our infrastructure, and addressing climate change. 

The ad goes on to highlight Samuels’s commitment to his community; including his work on the Minneapolis City Council, where he advocated for greater investment and focus on the historically marginalized communities in north Minneapolis. Also featured is his work as a community advocate where he works tirelessly to improve public safety, bring people of diverse backgrounds together, and increase investment in BIPOC-owned small businesses. The ad ends by featuring a young man who Samuels became a father to after his dad passed away due to gun violence, emblematic of the Samuels’s long dedication to improving the lives of children in their community.

The ad is available here. 

Transcript:

“Ilhan Omar has gone missing on the issues that matter most for us. Omar advocated abolishing the police, with gun violence surging, and voted against President Bidens plan to rebuild roads and bridges and expand public transportation and EV charging networks. We deserve better. “

“Don Samuels has always been there for us.” 

“On the city council.”

“In our neighborhoods.”

“And became a father to me after I lost my dad to gun violence. 

I’m Don Samuels and I approve this message for you.”

Key differences between Samuels and Omar include support for President Biden’s signature infrastructure legislation and a comprehensive approach to public safety. While political infighting led Omar to be one of six congressional Democrats to vote against the president’s bill, Samuels believes Democrats must do a better job working together in the face of Republican opposition. 

On public safety, Samuels and Omar differ significantly in their approach to policing. Omar supported abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department in the face of rising crime rates across the Twin Cities metropolitan area, even responding to former President Barack Obama’s warning that the slogan “Defund the Police” would make the work of police reform more difficult. Omar said it wasn’t a “snappy slogan” but a “policy demand.” Samuels favors an approach that embraces both accountability and justice, including the George Floyd Act and limiting the use of no-knock warrants.

A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Samuels is the former CEO of MicroGrants, a nonprofit organization that gives $1,000 grants to low-income people for education, business development, and transportation. A skilled community and political leader, Samuels served three terms on the Minneapolis City Council and one term on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board after retiring from a career as a toy designer. Samuels is also an ordained minister who sees the humanity in all people. 

For more information, visit www.donsamuels.com or follow Samuels on Twitter @DonSamuelsMN or Facebook @donsamuelsforcongress

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